1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a fan for cooling internal components in a magnetic tape drive.
2. Description of the Prior Art
During the operation of a magnetic tape drive, wherein data are transferred to and from a magnetic recording tape, heat is generated by a number of components, including the motors which are used to rotate one or both tape reels in the drive. Conventionally, one or more fans is provided with fan blades rotating next to an opening in the housing of the tape drive. Such a fan, however, itself requires a motor to rotate the blades, and the fan motor thus constitutes an additional heat source if it is located within the housing of the tape drive. Moreover, if the fan motor is located inside of the tape drive housing, this occupies space which can present an impediment to mounting other components inside of the tape drive, or may require that the tape drive housing be made larger.
Alternatively, if the fan is mounted so that its motor is at the exterior of the tape drive housing, this presents an impediment to mounting the tape drive in a receptacle having a standardized form factor, which usually is a rectangular box of standardized dimensions.
Moreover, the presence of one or more motor-driven fans increases the overall power consumption of the tape drive.